Running
by Teenage Vampiress -Itazuramono
Summary: *chapter 4 up* PLZ PPL I NEED REVIEWS!*An explaination of my character Crystaline and how she influenced the medabots cast and was on the sidelines all along and her true relationship with Henry. Sounds sucky but hey I'm bad at summarys anyways PLZ R+R!
1. Chapter One: When We Were Young

Running  
  
Summary: An explaination of my character Crystaline and how she influenced the medabots cast and was on the sidelines all along and her true relationship with Henry. Sounds sucky but hey I'm bad at summarys anyways PLZ R+R!  
  
  
  
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Disclaimer: Ok well if you don't already know then your pretty foolish but yea it's a rule sooo...I don't own Medabots nor do I own any thing affiliated with it...merely Crystaline (yes of course I'd own myself naturally) and the ideas in this story are mine, so please don't sue!!  
  
Authoress' Notes: Okay to tell the truth this story I guess you could say jumps all over the place in the different chapters, but there is a reasonable explaination for such. It's all in the perspective of Crystaline(moi) and the different most valid points of her life with what happens in her present and memories of her past..yea umm anways..please I hope you enjoy. I would really appreciate any reviews I get wether they be flames or otherwise...this is my first attempt at a really semi-serious fic for once, so please read and review. Anyways best get on with the story...enjoy!^___^  
  
  
  
Running  
  
*********************************** Chapter One: When We Were Young *****************************************  
  
"Hiiikaaarrruuu!!!" The young girl of about 9* pleaded, frustration etching it's way into her voice.  
  
(A/N : * ...just how old was Henry those fateful 8 years ago anyways?)  
  
" Hmmm...Alright!Alright! I'll come. Now what is it you wanted to show me?" Hikaru Agata let out a large sigh and raised himself up from where he and the girl were sitting.  
  
She smirked in reply. "Good!" Was her only response.  
  
" What is it that is so important that it couldn't wait until after Crystaline?"  
  
"You'll see!" Crystaline rose from where she was perched on a large rock in the park, a triumphant grin on her face, as her long light brown hair flowed softly in the small breeze that had made it's way into the sweet summer air. It continued to cascade down to her waist where it sat happily, the natural blond and auburnish flame highlights glistening in the sunlight. She grabbed her friend's hand and led him along behind her.  
  
The trip seemed like it would never end to the young Hikaru, but it was truly only a few seconds when they stopped. On the way there, Hikaru watched each tree as he passed it by.  
  
"Crystaline, I don't wanna seem rude,"  
  
"That'll be a first!" Crystaline cut in.  
  
" Haha," He decided he was going to pretend he didn't hear her, "but where the heck are we going?"  
  
"Just wait and see!"  
  
Suddenly Hikaru felt himself stop.  
  
"We're here!" Crystaline exclaimed.  
  
Hikaru looked around at his surroundings, it was actually a place he had been to often with Crystaline. It was more secluded than some of the other areas of the park and not very many people knew about it. It had a beautiful little koi pond and Crystaline loved to feed the fish. A few feet away was a large tree, that the children seemed to find themselves sitting under often and laying on the grass to look at the clouds, or climbing to get a better perspective of the park. But this was certainly not something new. What would Crystaline have to show him? Why on Earth would she bring him here?  
  
The answer to this was a simple one, but Hikaru didn't know that, and how was Crystaline gonna tell him? Maybe the question was a simple one, but it was going to be pretty difficult for her to answer , well at least the way she really wanted to anyways.She had the words on the tip of her tongue, but no matter how hard she was gonna try, she knew somehow that this just wasn't gonna turn out quite right. "Oh well, here goes!" She thought to herself and she began.  
  
"Hikaru, I have a cofession,"  
  
"Which would beeeee?" He asked a little unnerved it was taking so long, but he tried to make his voice sound reasonable to what she had to say.  
  
" Well, I know I said I brought you here to show you something, but actually," she sighed, "there's something I need to tell you."  
  
Hikaru noticed a sudden change in Crystaline's voice , it began to sound quite sad and pehaps a little nervous, and she now was gaining a expression to match, her usually cheery or often smug expression was gone, and it had been replaced with a much more upset loooking and sullen one. With concern in his voice he asked her, "Crystaline, what's wrong?"  
  
She had her head down and she was staring at the ground not wanting to meet his gaze, but then she looked up at him with glassy eyes.He could tell she wanted to cry,but she was holding it back, Crystaline would never cry. It just wasn't her, she had told him once that she would never cry as it was sign of weakness and her enemies could use that to exploit her. He had just told her she was crazy and read to much.  
  
" N-n-nothing's wrong," she had said trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, but it was coming out a lot more shaky then she had wanted. " I'm just fine. It's just that, well you see..."  
  
She was cut off just then by a familiar voice.  
  
" Hey you two!!! Hikaru I've been looking all over for you!!"  
  
It was Joe, a friend of theirs, and a member of The Magnificiant MedaFighters.**  
  
(A/N ** it is the magnificiant medafighters right?)  
  
"Hikaru where have you been? Patra's waiting! We have to practice now! You know the Championships aren't far away!"Joe continued,findind his voice raise higher and higher with frustration and slight anger, but as he turned to Crystaline, his mood couldn't help but change. "Oh hey Crystaline, you wanna come watch us practice?" He blushed a bit while he asked this.  
  
"Sure why not, I've got nothing better to do." She sighed dissapointed.  
  
" Alright I'm there!" Hikaru pumped his fist in the air. "Oh, but first Crystaline wanted to tell me something didn't you?"  
  
"No, no it's okay you go to your practice, it's not like it was anything important anyways..." She turned away and looked to the sky for support, but of course she knew this was foolish, and in return it offered her no help.  
  
" Okay than that's that!Lets go practice, not that I need any of course..." Hikaru boasted.  
  
"Oh goody, the arrogance has already started up again, but that was short!" Crystaline thought to herself, unfortunately outloud.  
  
Joe laughed at Crystaline and the anger rising and fading then rising again on Hikaru's face.  
  
"Hmmmmpphhh!!Your just jealous of my excellent talent!" Hikaru stated smugly.  
  
"Oh yes, that's it exactly Hikaru!" Crystaline shoke her head at the foolishness of her friend."Arrogant fool!" She muttered to herself.Why did he have to be like that? She was sure at heart even he couldn't be that blind, but sadly pride can blind anybody.  
  
Hikaru smirked, convinced he had won another of their often known fueds.  
  
Joe laughed at this, these two could continue for days if they were allowed. It was funny, Crystaline was probably one of the only people Hikaru was ever nice to,he didn't think even Hikaru himself knew why that was.  
  
"Well we better get going, before Patra really loses her cool!" Joe announced.  
  
"Yea your right!" With that Hikaru ran up ahead.  
  
While Hikaru was walking just a few feet up, Joe took this as an oppurtunity to talk to Crystaline. "You know Crystaline, I think your the only person I know who can put a smile on the 'Great Hikaru Agata' 's face."  
  
"Yea what can I say, it's a gift!" Crystaline replied sarcastic but genuinely amused just the same.  
  
"Funny!" Stated Hikaru dryly, and he ran further up ahead.  
  
"So Crystaline, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you plan on telling Hikaru?" Joe couldn't help but ask.  
  
Crystaline was a little shocked but she answered him anyways "It was n- nothing I just...oh never mind! " She was silent for a moment. "Umm Joe, " she started her voice almost a whisper the sadness returning, "do you think I could have a minute?"  
  
"Sure Crystaline but, " he looked at her with concern then stopped talking, "sure" he muttered.  
  
"Thank you!" Crystaline stood still for a moment and watched as her friend passed by. "How am I gonna tell him?" She asked herself when she was finally alone. How was she supposed to tell Hikaru that she-that she ..."hmmm" she sighed. "I'll find the words in time." She whispered this to herself at last, then walked along the path to catch up to where her friends were waiting.  
  
***************************************** So, what did you think of the first chapter? It's not very good but you'll understand things alot better in later chapters...yea but anyways please review..even flames are welcome..but please don't be too harsh on me! Anyways could u people please also read my other ficcy? It's called Live With Henry! (and the authoress) anyways ttfn - tata for now! -Crystaline^____^ 


	2. Chapter Two: Some Things Are Harder Than...

*************************************** Chapter Two: Some Things Are Harder Than Others ********************************************  
  
Disclaimer: Like I said before, I do not, nor will I ever..(well at least to my knowledge) own Medabots or anything affiliated with it.Merely myself and the ideas in this fic belong to me.So please do not sue.  
  
Authoress' Notes: Hey the second chappie is going up now!I'm glad to know there actually are people who enjoyed my first chapter...so this is sorta dedicated to you.Yea anyways, enjoy ^___^  
  
  
  
************************************* Chapter Two: Some Things Are Harder Than Others *************************************  
  
Crystaline was lost in her thoughts, so much so that she never even noticed her friend growing steadily angrier and angrier by the second at her oblivion( A/N: sp?)to the world around her.  
  
" Crystaline Ikoda!!Are you even listening to me?!"  
  
"Huh?What?I'm sorry Patra what did you say?" Crystaline starred blankly in the face of her disgruntled friend. "I guess I wasn't paying attention."  
  
"I can see that!" She growled into Crystaline's face. "I saiiiiid..what did you think of that last move?Did I kick Hikaru's butt or what?"  
  
"Yea sure!You kick butt!You go girlfriend!" Crystaline muttered unenthuastiaclly never bothering to actually look at Patra for longer than she had to.  
  
" Grrrr!Crystaline!I lost the battle!Weren't you even attempting to pay attention?"  
  
"No, sorry I guess I wasn't.I'm sorry,gomen!My mind seems to be somewhere else today."She turned and stared off into the distance to try and collect her thoughts again.  
  
"I really messed up this morning" she thought glumly. "I should probably just give up now!" Of course she knew she couldn't do that, as much as she would have liked to. Just pretend this didn't have to be done. But it did. And there's nothing she could say or do that could change that. Not now anyways.She would have to tell him.  
  
She wished there was someone she could confide in, and have them help her. Or better yet, do it for her. She began to muse about the concept of someone like Joe or Patra doing this for her. Ha! That would have been a show! She would have contiunued brooding , however she found herself rudely cut out of her musings and snapped back into reality.  
  
"Crystaline!Whoa!You okay?" Joe was frantically waving a hand in front of Crystaline's face while the others looked on in concern.(A/N i think i use that word to much)  
  
" Huh? Sorry! What?" Crystaline looked at her friends in confusion as to what the fuss was all about. "What's up?"  
  
"Crystaline you were spacing out, any more so and you woulda fallen off your seat!" Patra informed Crystaline whom didn't seem to understand.  
  
"Oh, well than I'm glad you got me out of it!" She attempted to give them all her truly most genuine smile, but sadly it only came out as a weak grin.  
  
"Yeah, umm sure no prob." Joe replied and they walked away to begin the robattle again but they were all staring at her curiously.  
  
"What is there something on my face?" She joked. Hopefully this will get them to stop being so suspicious for a while, she thought.  
  
They all laughed at this. "Same old Crystaline," laughed Joe, "nothing to worry about here!"  
  
"Good, they bought it. This should buy me some time. Now," she continued the one sided conversation with herself, "what am I going to do?"  
  
She knew what she had to do.She had to tell Hikaru the truth, tell him everything, and tell him that other thing. The one thing she just didn't want to think about. Not ever.  
  
****flashback****  
  
"Crystaline I'm sorry!But you have no say in the matter!" Satoshi Ikoda stated the rhetoric to his overly frustrated daughter.  
  
"But daaaaaaaaaaaaddd!!" Crystaline protested.  
  
"Listen to your father Crystaline." Sakura Ikoda added in.  
  
" But I- I still can't believe this!! How can you do this to me?! It's not faaaiiirrr!!"  
  
"Crystaline!Stop with the whining! It is so unlike you! And much too unlady like!" Crystaline's mother stated sternly.  
  
"I don't wanna be a lady, I'm only a kid I wanna be able to think about kid stuff!Not how to be prim and proper!And besides you know as well as I do there's no way I ever will be!!It's just not me!! Now would you please stop trying to change the subject!!"  
  
"I'm not changing the subject, but you still should really consider your actions now! Otherwise think about the dire concequences it will have for your future!" Sakura argued back.  
  
" Mother your still doing it!"  
  
"Crystaline! You should know better than to talk to your mother like that! Now my answer still stands! End of discussion!" Satoshi finished, growing steadily more frustrated with his daughter's continuing impertenance and unwillingness to accept defeat. "Hmmmm," he mused to himself, "she's a lot like her mother that way."  
  
"But the World Robattle Championships are in less than a month!! I promised my friends I'd be there for them! I can't go back on my word! I-I promised them! I promised , Hi-ka-ru..." She protested although she found her last words come out as more of a breath.  
  
Sakura Ikoda looked at her daughter with compassion but her tone still remained stern, however it seemed to lose a little of it's bite. " I'm sorry Crystaline dear, I truly am. But you have no other choice."  
  
"It's true dear," Satoshi turned to his daughter, "we weren't expecting a break-through like this for at least another year. But if this works out it could be really good for us!"  
  
"But how long would we be gone for?" Crystaline interrupted growing more upset by the second.  
  
"Well actually, I'm sorry to say that it could be anywhere from a month or so, or even higher. But at the most a year two years tops!We have to go, there's no way around it. Crystaline, this is the chance we've been waiting for," he sighed, "besides you know we need the money."  
  
Crystaline looked at her parents in disgust. They weren't even attempting to find another way, or at least console her a bit. Nothing. She looked at them her eyes growing closer and closer to tearing up. " You just don't get it!" She cried and she ran up to her room.  
  
"Crystaline," her father began to go after her.  
  
"No," assured Sakura, knowing more than she let on. "she needs to be alone."  
  
****End Of FlashBack****  
  
  
  
Crystaline shivered as a cold breeze made it's way into the air around her, lost in a train of thought she forgot about time. Crystaline looked up to see her friends staring at her curiously again. "Hey, practice over already?"  
  
"Umm yea," Patra answered.  
  
" Oh really, sorry I must of spaced out again."  
  
"Yea.." Joe replied.  
  
Crystaline noticed all her friends looking at her with worried expressions, making her for some reason feel a great awkwardness and an uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. They began to ask her questions to which she paid no attention, all except Hikaru, who remained unusually silent.  
  
She would have to tell him soon, she concluded. It was the only way anyone was going to feel remotely better again. Although she knew even then she'd feel just terrible inside. But how was anyone supposed to feel good when deep inside they were going through the same emotional truama she was? To leave everything behind, things she had worked so hard to achieve, friendships, and so much more. To leave the places, things and ...people she cared so much about. To leave everything she'd ever known, the only friends she'd ever known. To leave her best- no, to leave Hikaru behind. She couldn't do that, not until she told him, just how she, well how she thought she, how she thought she might feel ...feel about, she sighed. She was ranting again to herself and she knew it. Maybe her parents were right, maybe she was making too big a deal of all this. But she just couldn't risk the prospect of not telling Hikaru how she felt, how she felt about him.  
  
Her parent's had told her not to get too discouraged and that everything would be alright, but deep inside the pit of her stomach, something didn't feel right. She knew something was going to happen, and soon, but she couldn't place a finger on it, and that frightened her to no ends. Oh well, I suppose now would be the time for some one to break out in song ! She giggled trying to lighten her mood, Kasara Kasara (A/N sp?) would probably be very befitting right now, but hey, I guess I gotta work with what I got huh? Unfortunately this didn't cheer her up as much as she would have liked, although she should have known better than to think it would.  
  
"Well I guess we better get going huh , Joe?" Patra exclaimed.  
  
"Really? Already? But we-" Joe stuttered.  
  
"JOOOOEEE!!!We have to go do that thing now you remember?" Patra insisted hoping Joe would get the point.  
  
"Huh? What? Ooooooohhhhh, I get it"  
  
"Finally." Muttered Patra.  
  
"Riiiiiiiiggghhht, that thing, now I know what you mean!" Joe paused and gave the thumbs up sign to Patra who just shoke her head in response. "Well, we'll leave you two alone, you both go the same way anyways...umm you can chat! Well, see ya!"  
  
"Huh? Well if your sure. Okay bye guys. See ya tommorow."  
  
Hmmmmmmm, what are they up to? Well whatever it is, thanks guys. "Cya!" Crystaline held up her fingers making the peace sign.  
  
Hikaru and Crystaline watched as their friends left. Finally the until now, silent Hikaru spoke up.  
  
"Crystaline, I need to talk to you." Hikaru started his voice begining to reflect Crystaline's feelings.  
  
"Yea, and I think I have a good guess why.." She turned away and squeezed her eyes shut.  
  
" Crystaline, are you okay?" Hikaru asked, " You've been acting really strange lately and I'm not the only one whose noticed....what's going on? And am I right in guessing that it has something to do with what you wanted to tell me?" His voice serious.  
  
Crystaline sighed. I guess the time has come , she thought. "Yes Hikaru, I'm afraid you'd be right in guessing that. I guess it's time I came out with it." She looked to him, that same feeling of uneasiness creeping it's way into her voice. " You might wanna sit down, this couild take a while."  
  
Hikaru cocked an eyebrow. What was going on? Finally he was going to get truth.  
  
"Hikaru, your my best friend right? And well, I like to think that I'm your friend too right? Well that is, if it's possible for someone as high up as you" they both smirked. "to even have friends."she finished.  
  
"Crystaline, of course your my friend! Is that what this is all about?" Hikaru looked at her, his face mirroring that of a mixture of concern and confusion.  
  
"Well not exactly," Crystaline contiuned, "but, ohh!!Why does this have to be so hard?? Hikaru, I'm afraid, I-I , I'm afraid that we're...well, you see it goes like this. My parents recieved a call recently, there was a huge discovery recently on the ancient peoples and they found some unusual things that resembled that of ancient items and drawings of, of the medabot variety. They found extremely old things that resemble ancient medals of some sort, and very detailed sketches and drawings that appear to be similar to medabots. It's a huge breakthrough and they want an large excavation on it right away! This could open up huge dorrs, and it's a brilliant discovery, and we need the money...and-and" She found herself ranting again.  
  
"Oh dear, I'm not making much sense am I, anyways the point I'm trying to get across is....." She squeezed her eyes shut wanting the pain to end. But it wouldn't go away.  
  
Hikaru watched her in amazement, Crystaline was never like this. So high strung and upset. What was se trying to get at?  
  
"And Hikaru, we ..we " by this time she was begining to shake uncontrollably. "WE HAVE TO LEAVE!!AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN OR IF I'LL GET BACK ANY TIME SOON!!" she stopped to catch her breath. "and I can't leave I just can't! Not without my friends!"  
  
"Crystaline..." Hikaru looked at his friend with sympathy.  
  
"I'm not sure I can do it..."  
  
"But Crystaline!The World Robattle Championships!! You have to be there!!!!"  
  
"I know!!I know!!! I can't do it Hikaru, I can't!!"  
  
"Crystaline," As much as Hikaru didn't want his friend to leave, he knew she had to, and he wished he could find a way to console her. "How long do you think you'll be gone?" He asked at last.  
  
Crystaline sighed, "My father says that we shouldn't be gone more than two years tops..."  
  
"TWO YEARS!!!!" He couldn't do this to her, not right now, he had to make it seem like he could handle it, so that she'd be able to. "It's not that long...and besides we'll all be waiting for you when you get back, I promise!Besides you can watch the championships on T.V right, and call us every night and..."  
  
"I suppose...."  
  
Unfortunately, they weren't given any more time to discuss it.  
  
"Hey Hikaru!!Crystaline!!!" came the voice of Joe and Patra in unison."You coming or what?"  
  
"I thought you guys were going home!" Crystaline had decided she wanted to change the subject before she had to go any further.  
  
"Yea, but we decided to wait for you!!" Shouted Patra.  
  
"A'right, I guess I can buy that!" Crystaline shouted back, trying to make herself sound happy, but it wasn't working.  
  
The two ran up closer, and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the two's faces.  
  
"Hey what's the matter Crystaline?"  
  
"Huh, oh it's nothing, right Hikaru?" She looked at him with pleading eyes.  
  
Alright Crystaline, I see you don't want them to know yet. "Yea, everything's fine. Crystaline was telling me something, weren't you Crystaline?"  
  
"Yea, haha " she answered nervously, "nothing of too much importance of course."  
  
"Okay than what are you waiting for? Let's go get some icecream!" Patra exclaimed happily.  
  
Joe and Patra ran up ahead.  
  
"Is that all you needed tot ell em Crystaline?" Hikaru asked when they were alone again.  
  
"Yea, that was everything." She answered depressed.  
  
"I'm sorry Crystaline.." He said to her softly.  
  
"I know."  
  
"So if that's all you had to tell me, "  
  
"Yep, that was it!"  
  
"Alright." Hikaru ran up ahead to meet the others.  
  
"Hikaru, I think I like you!" Crystaline whispered to herself a few minutes later when she was completely alone, the sun was setting and she felt herself getting cold. "In fact , you might even say, I love you."  
  
***************************************************************  
  
Authoress' Notes: Finally! I'm done! Okay, I really didn't like the way this chapter turned out, but I need to write it so that it would lead up to the string of life influencing effects that would happen in chappy 3. I had almost every chapter planned out except this one, so I don't know how well it turned out. Buit don't worry, I'd say this will be my worst chappy, so the next won't be all that bad...hopefully. Well please review anyways, until then -Crystaline^__^ 


	3. Chapter Three: The Strike Of Pain And Tr...

********************************************************* Chapter Three: The Strike Of Pain And Tradgedy **************************************************  
  
Authoress' Notes: Okay so I lied, this chapter sux too, but man, I had it all planned out and then I got the flu and since I just write it on the computer as I think of it, I forgot it all and had writer's block for like a week, but I'm back now! So anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!(Just a warning tho: It's really loooong) ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: Okay, if you honestly think I own Medabots, I suggest you seek severe medical and pyschological help right away! But yea, I don't own Medabots or any of it's characters or components or whatever you'd care to throw at me involving such. So please do not sue! (The only thing in this I own are myself : (Crystaline Ikoda,) Sakura Ikoda, Satoshi Ikoda, and FelaFighter oh and the SCC type, I made it up, unless someone beat me to it : / anyways yea..)  
  
********************************************* Chapter Three: The Strike Of Pain And Tradgedy ******************************************  
  
Crystaline Ikoda and Hikaru Agata stood under their favourite tree in the park, procrastinating the fact that they were about to do the hardess thing ever so far in the youth's young lives. They stood silently until the silence became too akward to bare anymore.  
  
" Sooo, ha," he laughed nervously, " this is it, huh?" Hikaru stood before his friend, not wanting her to go, but knowing she had to.  
  
"Ha, yea, I ummm, I guess it is.." Crystaline was clutching a bag that held some of her more precious items, as well as a few medaparts and such* and she was desperately trying to keep from losing her composure for a more depressed one.  
  
  
  
(*A/N yes she does have a medabot but they don't like to robattle so her medabot doesn't show much but yea you'll see it later, anyways yea.XD can you tell what my fav words apparently are?anyways...)  
  
  
  
"Ummm, good luck?" Hikaru asked hopefully.  
  
"Yea," Crystaline replied queitly.  
  
"Crystaline, I'm, well we'll ,we..." Hikaru tried to choke out the words but they wouldn't come.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it Hikaru, I know." Crystaline finished for Hikaru. " 'Sides, who wouldn't miss me?" She laughed trying to lighten the heavy mood.  
  
"Ha! Yea,yea..." They both stood silent for a moment. All though they were constantly argueing, they still were each the best friend the other ever had. They had grown up together, and now it was all about to change. If only they had both known how much it would do so.  
  
"CRYSTALINE IKODA STOP RIGHT THERE!!" Patra and Joe came barreling down the hill nearly running over their friend when they tried to put on their brakes (so to speak.)Patra snatched Crystaline's hand and was holding them up together as she began to to talk to the confused girl.  
  
"You don't think we'd let you get away from us that easily!! And without saying goodbye no less!!"  
  
"Yea!!Do you think we'd just let one of our best friends just slip away without anyone knowing, so you wouldn't have any long goodbyes?" Joe piped in.  
  
"What?"Thought Crystaline, she was sure she hadn't told them.She didn't want anyone to know she was going, that would have just made things harder for her, only she couldn't leave without telling Hikaru, that would hurt her even more than leaving would. But how? How did they know she was leaving?She looked at Hikaru who was avoiding her eye contact. "How could you?" She mouthed in his direction.  
  
"But I-" Hikaru whispered back.  
  
"Hikaru didn't tell us Crystaline," Joe answered the private question that Crystaline had thought she had only asked between her and Hikaru. (A/N confusing I know, but I knew what I wanted to say only I can't seem to word it right...yea anyways)  
  
"Yea," Patra said sheepishly. "We sorta over-heard.." The two lowered their heads in both shame and embarressment.  
  
"What?!You were eavesdropping?!" Crystaline felt her face growing hot, but as she looked at her friends hanging their heads, she stopped and allowed herself to calm down and she sighed. "No, you know what? I don't care! I mean you know, I'm glad you found out, I was kidding myself thinking I could just escape without saying anything...'sides what kind of a person doesn't want to spend their last day in their home town with their friends?" She smiled warmly at them. "It feels good to know someone actually cares." She thought to herself.  
  
Crystaline had always known she had friends, but she never really thought that she had real friends. Well except maybe Hikaru. She had always thought of them as being Hikaru's friends, and she had just been sorta there, inviting herself along because she was supposedly Hikaru's friend.But as she looked up to see her friends looking at her with true compassion, Patra growing more glassy eyed at the minute, all the negative thoughts were washed away.  
  
"Crystaline? Don't tell you're gonna pull that whole spacing out thing on us, not on your last day with us!" Joe exclaimed.  
  
"I'm only going to be gone two years Joe! Not forever!" Crystaline replied back.  
  
"Two years?! That is forever Crystaline! A lot can happen in that amount of time!" Joe argued back.  
  
Hikaru and Patra just stood back in a mix of amusement and concern at their friends actions.  
  
"You know if your not careful Hikaru, you may have some competition when it comes to getting the chance to lose a fight with Crystaline!" Patra nudged Hikaru with her elbow.  
  
"I know what you mean, I mean ..hey!! I don't lose the fights!" Hikaru shouted his last words.  
  
"Unhuh."  
  
They sat back and continued to watch the battle being waged before them.  
  
Crystaline sighed. She knew Joe was right, but Crystaline hated to lose a fight, so she continued the arguement. "Nothing will happen Joe! Nothing ever does, when I get back everything will be the same as it was before! Nothing will have changed!" She shouted frustrated, but her mood took on a more happy demeanor with her next comment. "Only thing that will have changed, is the fact that I won't be coming home to my friends..I'll be coming back to three CHAMPIONS!!!"  
  
"YEAH!!!!!!!!!!" They all cheered happily and enthusiastically in agreement and pumped their fists in the air.  
  
"Now-" Crystaline began, but she didn't have any more time for conversation, because at that moment, she was tackled by a laughing and giggling Joe and Patra. They enveloped her into a huge hug, but the force was too great and it sent them all tumbling to the ground. Hikaru stood back and laughed at his friends, who were now in a disheveled mess on the ground and laughing like mad men-er persons, (A/N want to be politically correct now don't we!) then he dived to the ground and added himself to the chaos.  
  
After a few minutes of giggling, laughing and trying to untangle themselves from a mess of arms and legs, Joe and Hikaru managed to lift themselves out of the mess and dust themselves off, they then presided to extend out their hands and raise the girls to their feet.  
  
Crystaline found herself blushing when Hikaru raised her to her feet, to her surprise, she noticed Hikaru was blushing too.  
  
"Now Crystaline, what time do you have to be at the airport by?" Patra asked, cutting in to Crystaline's own personal romantic comtemplations, much to her dissapointment.  
  
"Oh yea," Crystaline felt herself growing upset again, "ummm, 4:00. Why?"  
  
"4:00?!Well that only leaves us with only a few hours, but that's plenty of time to show you the time of your life before you have to leave us.Now c'mon!" She grabbed Crystaline by the wrists much to her confusion, "Let's go have fun!"  
  
The rest of the afternoon was spent doing several random things. They spent the first half of the day at an amusement park where Patra, Joe and Hikaru had to drag Crystaline kicking and screaming protest onto a rollercoaster, then having to suffer through her wanting to go on another 5 times. Next Joe, Hikaru and Crystaline had to suffer through Patra forcing them to see the most romantic, sappiest (UGH!) movie there. Innocent bystanders will tell you that it was quite homourous watching Patra drag the three of them in, even trying to push Crystaline in as she clung desperately to the door frame. (XD yes I really do hate sappy movies that much!) Only the funniest part is at the end, perhaps the boys liked it even more than the girls did. If you were silent you can probably still hear their happy sniffling now. But hey I digress..Next came the one part that was probably one of Crystaline's favourites, THE ICECREAM!! (Suprise suprise, she got deluxe cotton candy, the sweetest, most sugary of all icecreams MWAHAHA*ehm* yea,)  
  
Sadly time flys quickly.  
  
" Oh my GOD!" Crystaline looked at her medawatch. It read 3:25 pm. "My plane leaves in a half an hour and I still haven't even made sure everything's packed or anything! I have to get home!" Crystaline tried to remain calm but noted the panic trying to sneak it's way into her voice. She leapt up from where she sat at the table at the 24 HopMart, a place that would become quite valid in the future. "I'm so sorry guys! I mean I had so much fun, and it was so nice of you to do this for me,I appreciate it more than you'll ever know, but I- I have to go!"  
  
Crystaline ran out of the store leaving all her friends dumbfounded as they got up and ran after her.  
  
"CRYSTALINE!!WAIT!!" Her friends called after her, however Crystaline continued to run, she didn't want to turn around and stop, because then she'd never really have to say goodbye. She'd just keep running, then maybe she'd be able to wake up from this dream that was quickly becoming a nightmare.  
  
"I can't say goodbye! I can't! I won't! Why? Because I'm not leaving!! They can't make me I won't!" Her eyes were hot, and they stung as her salty tears were trying to escape. But she held them back. "I won't cry! I will not lose my dignity!" Crystaline's eyes were misty and she had to close them, making it difficult to run. She tripped and landed on her side, just a few feet from her house. Crystaline knew she had to, but her body refused to get up, and she just lied on the ground. Foolishly allowing herself to get engulfed and overwhealmed (A/N sp?) with frustration, anger and pain.  
  
"It's not fair!" She cried. "It's not fair!!"  
  
"Crystaline," Crystaline felt two arms being placed under her own, and she was being raised to her feet.  
  
Crystaline spun around to face Hikaru, as Patra and Joe proped her up until she was certain she could regain her balance.  
  
"I don't want to leave!" She yelled at him.  
  
"I know," He replied sympathetically. "and we don't want you to, but you have to, you said so yourself remember?"  
  
"I know.."  
  
"Crystaline," started Joe, " Don't worry, everything will be okay, I'm sure of it."  
  
"Yea Crystaline, " Patra added, "you said so yourself, you'll come back and everything will go back to the way it was, and it will be like you never left. You'll see!"  
  
"I suppose.."  
  
"C'mon, we'll walk you to your house then we'll all go to the airport together."  
  
Crystaline sighed. "A'right."  
  
"Good."  
  
The three walked ahead, leaving Crystaline a moment to recollect herself. Hikaru paused and watched his friend, standing silently for a moment, lost in thought no doubt.  
  
"Crystaline," he whispered silently to himself. "I wish this wasn't so hard." Hikaru walked towards her.  
  
Crystaline looked up to see a hankerchief (A/N..sp? sorry I don't have spell check : /) being held in front of her face.  
  
"Just incase," said Hikaru, "don't want you to lose your reputation."  
  
Crystaline smiled. "Thank you."  
  
They walked together to the Ikoda residence for Crystaline to gather her last remaining things and get FelaFighter (her medabot, please don't ask about the name I seriously don't know where it came from!). Then they left for the airport.  
  
***************  
  
Crystaline sat in the plane, waiting for it to take off.  
  
"Oh Hikaru," she breathed.  
  
"Crystaline look!" FelaFighter shouted to her medafighter from the seat next to her.  
  
The girl looked first to the cat type medabot and then out her window to where she was pointing.  
  
Crystaline let out a gasp. Just outside her window in large letters printed on a banner were the words : GOOD LUCK CRYSTALINE!! WE'LL MISS YOU!! BE BACK SOON!" and holding the banner she could see Hikaru, Patra and Joe waving to her with large grins. She smiled.  
  
"Thanks guys."  
  
**********some time later*********  
  
"Hurry FelaFighter, we're gonna miss it!"  
  
"Coming Crystaline, just give me a second!" The SCC type medabot ran into the room, and turned on the tv.  
  
"I promised them I wouldn't miss their big match, and I always keep my promise!" (A/N she's refering to the Magnificiant Meadfighters for anyone who can't already tell)  
  
" I know, isn't this exciting?" FelaFighter asked her MedaFighter almost as happy as the girl was herself. She was glad Crystaline was finally getting used to her new surroundings.  
  
Much to Crystaline's dissapointment, the phone rang.  
  
"FelaFighter, could you get that?"  
  
"I would love to, but don't you think you should? You said you were expecting a phone call from your parents remember?"  
  
"Hmmm," Crystaline smirked. "You don't wanna miss it either do you?"  
  
FelaFighter laughed. "Guilty as charged."  
  
"Haha, a'right you, tell me what I miss!" With that Crystaline ran to grab the phone.  
  
"Hello, Crystaline?" Sakura questioned.  
  
"HI MOM!" Crystaline exclaimed happily.  
  
"Hello dear, glad to see your finally in a better mood!"  
  
"Yea," there was a small pause.  
  
"Ummm Crystaline, I'm sorry to say your father and I are running a little behind schedule and we won't be able to make it home for dinner tonight, but we'll try to get there as fast as we can. Will you be alright on your own?"  
  
There was another small pause.  
  
"Crystaline?"  
  
"Huh, yea, umm sure, I'll be fine." Crystaline replied sadly.  
  
"Well, I could make some calls so that your father and I can find a way to arrange it so we'll come home if you'd like..."  
  
"No, no that's okay." came the upset voice from the other line. "I'll be fine, FelaFighter and I will just watch the match, and make something quick for dinner, it's no problem."  
  
"If your sure,"  
  
"I am, don't worry about it, you should probably get back to work, umm give my love to dad k?"  
  
"Alright honey,as long as your sure, love you!" Sakura Ikoda hung up the phone.  
  
"Yea, bye." Crystaline said to the dial tone. She slowly hung up the phone, and walked into the television room. Her eyes were wide with shock with what she saw.  
  
There was panic and chaos errupting all over the television set. Fire was engulfing things everywhere.  
  
"What's going on?" She gasped. "FelaFighter do you know-"  
  
The girl turned to look at her medabot and was frightened at what she saw. The SCC was glaring at her, and was beginning to glow.  
  
"FelaFighter, what's going on? Why are you looking at me like that? What happened?" Panic continued to rise in Crystaline's voice, higher and higher with each question.  
  
Crystaline could hear screaming outside her house, and a voice on the television said that Medabots were rebellioning all over and causing mass destruction.  
  
"What? How can this be?" Crystaline returned her attention to her Medabot, who know had a wicked grin on her face. (A/N okay, okay, I know Medabots don't really have mouths, but work with me here!) "FelaFighter, why?" She questioned.  
  
Suddenly like a bat out of Hell, (_) the SCC came charging at her MedaFighter, letting out a horrible battle cry.  
  
Crystaline gasped in sheer terror. Remembering her perdicament (sp?) she quickly regained her composure in evaded the attack to the best of her ability.  
  
"I'm sorry dear friend, but I can't have you going and hurting innocent people." Crystaline said to her Medabot, and with that, tears welling up in her eyes, she slammed her fist down as hard as she could on the back of her Medabot's head, rendering her unconcious, her medal ejected. Crystaline quickly santched it up and returned it to her medawatch.  
  
Sadly Crystaline was not fast enough, and with a last burst of energy before collapsing, the Medabot sent a cold blast of energy through the girl's body. The hot pain surging through her body, the girl let out an nearly inhuman cry of agony, and with the darkness quickly engulfing her, she dropped to the ground into the black.  
  
There she and the Meadbot lay, side by side, unconcious on the floor, awaiting for the hope that some one would find them.  
  
*******************************************  
  
"Doctor! This one is waking up! They're still alive!"  
  
"What?" The doctor quickly ran to the side of the bed, next to the nurse, staring intently at the unconcious figure lying on the bed, eyelids fluttering, as the body tried desperately to awaken.  
  
Crystaline Ikoda slowly opened her eyes. Where was she? Fear washed over her body as she glanced around at the unusual setting. All she could remember was a terrible pounding in her head. She tried to move, but she found her back and chest alarmingly sore and stiff, and looked down to see bandages wrapped around her upper midrifff.  
  
That's when she remembered what had happened. That horrible moment began to flash before her eyes again, like a movie that just wouldn't stop playing. She squeezed her eyes shut with remorse.  
  
"You had us all very worried miss." The doctor stated, getting up into her face, and in Crystaline's oppinion, invading her space.  
  
She stared at him blankly, still trying to cope with the recent events. She glance past him to see the crumpled up body of her partner.  
  
" FelaFighter!" She exclaimed and extended her hand in false hopes that that would be enough to reach her.  
  
She glared at the doctor. "What have you done to her?!" She demanded.  
  
"N-nothing." The doctor stammered, slightly taken back by the girls anger. "She's perfectly fine, her medals just not in her body at the moment that's all."  
  
"Where's my medawatch?" She demanded again.  
  
"O-over there." The doctor pointed in the direction of a end table. "But don't you think you should rest now?" He watched as the young girl struggled to raise herself out of bed. Her persistence was immence, despite the obvious fact that she should be felling extreme pain right now. The doctor marvelled at this.  
  
Crystaline grew ever more frustrated at her own incompetence. She tried again.  
  
" AHHH!" She let out a great cry of pain and desperately grasped at where the pain was in her chest. She breathed heavily for a moment, before again trying to raise herself out of her bed.  
  
"Miss Crystaline please! You must try to relax!" The doctor argued, hoping he could somehow get through to the young girl.  
  
"How can I relax?! I don't even know where I am, or what's going on!! Where are my parents?!" Crystaline screamed at the doctor.  
  
The doctor and the nurse looked at each other nervously.  
  
"Crystaline," the doctor began softly and sympathetically. "you should feel happy, you're one of the survivors."  
  
Crystaline looked at him with disgust. "Why are you avoiding my question?! And why the tone?"  
  
Again the doctor looked first to the nurse and then to disgruntled young girl. "Crystaline," he began again, his voice soft, but sad. "I'm afraid we have some bad news."  
  
Crystaline studied the doctor and nurse's expressions, unsure but deep in the pit of her stomach already knowing.  
  
"Your parents you see, well once the Medabots began to riot, the tried to rush home to get to you and, and...well, they were *ehm* unsuccessful." he said at last.  
  
Crystaline started at him in disbelief. Basically in the kindest terms possible he had just told her the unthinkable. Her parent were dead. She stared at them, her eyes growing wider and wider with each word, grief overwhelmed her.  
  
"No," she breathed. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
The doctor tried to put his arm around her in an act of sympathy.  
  
"NO!" Crystaline threw the doctor's arm off and away from her. Next she threw off her covers and leapt out of the bed.  
  
"Crystaline, what are you doing? No! Wait!"  
  
"NO!!NO! I WON'T BELIEVE IT! I WON'T!!" Crystaline cried. She grabbed her Medawatch and Medabot, and began to run out of the hospital.  
  
"Crystaline please, wait! Stop!" The doctor called out after her.  
  
Crystaline ignored them and just kept running. She wouldn't stop. And noone would make her. She wouldn't believe what they said. She'd just keep on running.  
  
Crystaline continued to run, wiping her eyes serveral times as she ran, to prevent any tears from escaping. That's when she felt herself stop.  
  
She opened her eyes. It was her house. Crystaline slammed the door open and ran into the house. Crystaline heard a woman's voice coming from one of the rooms.  
  
"MOM!!" She exclaimed running into the TV room. Her heart sank at what she saw. An empty room. "So they really are gone.." she thought sadly. "Then that voice, it was just, just the television."  
  
She glanced around the room for some sign that everything was still okay, but she found nothing. Her house lay in total ruins, a great deal of things broken and chared. "So, I guess FelaFighter wasn't the only Medabot here today."  
  
The voice on her television quickly caught her attention. She had forgotten it was even on till that moment.  
  
Crystaline stared at her televison set in disbelief and shock. It now retained a fixed gaze of horror at what she saw. All the mass destruction, the pain, the suffering, fire everywhere.  
  
"No.." she uttered.  
  
But what the voice said next was far to overwhelming for the young girl to handle.  
  
"And the person responsible for all of this.." the voice began spitefully inbetween sniffles, "..is Hikaru Agata!"  
  
"What?" Crystaline felt herself falling into a pit of darkness and nothingness. She couldn't escape. She could not believe what she just heard. She wouldn't. Her best friend. HER BEST FRIEND!!! Crystaline felt overwhelmed, her body shook uncontrollably.  
  
"No," she breathed, "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Crystaline couldn't handle it any more, she slammed her fist against the wall. "No," she continued to repeat. "No." She felt the tears well up again, but this time she let them fall, she cried in pain, leaning on her hand the wall. Her hand balled into a fist, she shoke uncontrollably and eventually collapsed to her knees, she still couldn't help but feel herself repeat "no," over and over again.  
  
She wrapped her arms around her knees, and for perhaps the first and only time ever in the young girl's life, Crystaline truly and genuinely cried . Cried long and hard with true anguish, her medabot lying a few feet in front of her in a disheveled lump, she cried, as her world came crashing down around her. She had lost everything, her parents, as well as her best friend. Her life was over. Now she truly felt dead to the world , because her world was now dead to her. And for that, she truly cried.  
  
******************************************* Authoress' Notes: *yuck* I said I hate sappy movies with a passion and here I'm writing a sappy fic!! *shakes fist at the irony*Whew!! Man my fingers hurt! Okay, this really should have been two seperate chapters but I messed up. Plus in the end of chappie two I said that the life influencing events would take place in chapter three, and I couldn't go back on my word now. Anyways I don't really like this chapter I think Crystaline's (well my feelings) are carried out for far to long in exageration, but it's just that I couldn't find the appropriate way to write about Crystaline's emotions at this heavy time. So yeah, this chappie sux, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update but I've been really sidetracked so yea, ummm don't worry chapter four hopefully won't take as long to update and I promise to post new chapters hopefully soon of my other two fics in the Medabot's category as well. But anyways still review with your thoughts and constructive criticism is always appreciated as long as it isn't to harsh, so please tell me what you think! And until then-Crystaline ^___^ 


	4. Chapter Four: New Girl, New Rival, Old F...

******************************* Chapter Four: New Girl, New Rival, Old Friends **********************************  
  
Authoress' Notes: Hey people! I'm not dead! I am so sorry it takes me so long to update, but I've just been swamped with so many other things and ideas. (that and I'm infamous for liking to write long chappies XP) Anyways ummm, just to let you know so it's not confusing, these next chappies take place 8 years in the future after the last three chappies, you know the time with Ikki and co. as the stars on the show. (oh! it's also a few months before the W.R.C. k? Just wanted to clear that up.)But anyways, just so you know. Oh but there will be some flash backs just to warn you. (I hate flashbacks myself but they're a neccesity (sp?) in this fic, so you can't say I didn't warn you) Oh one last thing...*sniffle* I've come to the conclusion that nobody loves me ...ok j/k but I'm getting like little to no reviews, and it's putting a damper on my writing enthusiasm, I may consider abondoning the fic, but I don't want to, I have a lot of it planned out already, but *sigh* I don't know. Anyways, if you do like this fic, then please review and tell your friends! Get them to read and review too! Well no, you dun have to but *cries dramatically* I wish I had more reviews. *ehm* Sorry 'bout that, I'll be mature now, anyways please; read, review and most importantly; enjoy! ^__^ (but I do have some loyal reviewers : my friends! And I thank you so much from the bottom of my artery er- heart *nervous laugh* heehee heart! So yea, thank you so much guys!!! *smiles big at them*)  
  
Disclaimer: Okay people, do you honestly think I own Medabots? Do yea? Well do I guys? Tell 'em I don't! *turns to Medabot cast* *ehm* I saiiiiid tell 'em I don't GUYS!!  
  
Medabots Cast: Huh? Oh, oh right! *shouting in unison*CRYSTALINE DOES NOT OWN MEDABOTS, NOR DOES SHE OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT! SO DON'T SUE HER!!*can be seen holding up signs with "Crystaline does not own us!" scribbled on them* *flashing lights that read "Crystaline owns nothing" can also be seen (Crystaline: *sniffle* s'not fair! Oh well..*glomps Henry*)  
  
Yea, and you should be thankful I don't! *grins evilly*  
  
Medabots cast: * shudder at the thought and nod in agreement*  
  
I do however own myself (Crystaline Ikoda / Crystal Ineiko/ Teenage Vampiress) as well as Satoshi Ikoda, Sakura Ikoda and FelaFighter aka The ShadowCat the SCC type( i made the SCC up, unless someone thought of it first ;_; oh well)/ cat type medabot. OH! And my Henry-chan plushie! ^-^ (well not yet, but I will get one! *to quote Mike Myers as Wayne Campbell from Wayne's World: It will be mine, oh yes! It will be mine!*...*ehm*Anyways..down to business. Please read and enjoy k? -Crystaline .:"^__^":.  
  
*************************************************** Chapter Four: New Girl, New Rival, Old Friends ***************************  
  
(*sigh* Perhaps even longer than the last chapter, should really be divided inot more than one chapter, but I'm afraid to say, I don't have the patient today.)  
  
  
  
(A/N Oh! ^.^! One last thing I forgot to mention, I've noticed that my italics and my bold aren't working, or are at least are screwing up on fanfiction, so words that are expressed by themselves or emphasized will now most likely be in caps okay? anyways enjoy^_^)  
  
  
  
Crystal Ineiko sighed. This was probably the worst coffee she'd ever tasted. And yet, she found herself still drinking it. She sat all alone at an empty table in a local coffee joint.  
  
"Man, where do they get this stuff? First day back in town, and this is what I get." She shook her head. She poured her coffee out into the garbage and grimaced as she watched it go out. It looked like sludge oozing out of her cup. "Yuck!" She stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Oh well, I like cappuccino better anyways." She returned to her seat and stared blankly out the window, as the world passed by it, lost deep in thought yet again.  
  
Crystal sighed again."Oh well, I guess I better go. Hmmmm, it's been a while, but maybe I can find some place around here that makes a half decent cup of coffee."  
  
She raised herself up from her seat, and threw her empty coffee cup in the garbage before exiting the store. (A/N no, believe it or not, it was not a StarBucks! But man, those things are every where aren't they?! Lol ~_^)  
  
Crystal found herself wandering aimlessly down the street, glancing around at the surrounding area. She wasn't sure quite where she was going, just checking out how much everything had changed since "then". She shuddered and pushed the thought of "then" from her mind.  
  
"Nothing I need to worry about NOW right?" She continued her trip down the street. Still not sure where she was going, just somehow knowing she needed to get there. Her feet seemed to know, even if she didn't, so she decided to let them lead her. They had never steered her wrong or let her down before right, so why should now be any different?  
  
She stopped.  
  
Crystal had been foolishly watching her feet for the last few steps, but she decided to look up to see where they had lead her. The store didn't look all that fancy, but vaguely familiar, as if she had been here before.  
  
"Not likely," she muttered. "it's probably just another store." She'd seen a lot of stores. She dismissed this thought as well. She looked up and read the name of the store.  
  
" The 24HopMart, huh?" She shrugged. "Hey, I don't name 'em, I just buy their coffee.Well," she shrugged again. "maybe, this day won't be all bad, if these people can make a half decent cup of coffee anyways." She laughed. " buuuut,.... I doubt it."  
  
She opened the door and was about to step inside when she was ran over, by a young dark haired boy, that had his hair pulled back in a ponytail, and his extremely loud sounding medabot. They were being followed closely by a young girl with short, chocolate colored hair and a camera around her neck. Her medabot was following closely behind her carrying what looked to be a video-camera? Hmmm, what was that for?  
  
Crystal held back the urge to scream at them for being so rude, and for nearly making her a pancake, until she recalled something. A streak of bright yellow. That medabot that came in with the dark haired boy, it was bright yellow. Not only that, it was a KBT-type, one of the older versions that had been discontinued. A bright yellow KBT-type that looked far too familiar to Crystal's liking.  
  
"It couldn't be!" she thought. "You're just imagining things, KBT's are becoming a pretty popular type again, and yellow's a common colour. There's nothing to worry about. You know it's a virtual impossibility it's the same medabot."  
  
Crystal shook her head and dismissed all the negative thoughts she had gained. She sighed. "You're losing it Crystal." she muttered to herself, and once again opened the door to step inside, but first she made sure to check that there were no more children that would be coming and running her over with their medabots as well.  
  
(A/N I don't even know why I'm bringing this up, but just out of curiousity, does anyone have an extra thesuarus, I'm over using words again...lol, _ oh well)  
  
Crystal stepped inside and looked around. "Man, this place seems really fimiliar," she thought again. "it's kinda creepy..hmmmm," she cautiously looked around, making sure she wasn't drawing any unwanted attention to herself. Luckily, everyone seemed quite occupied with what they were doing. The young boy was apparently having an arguement with his overly angry medabot, while the girl seemed to be taking notes, and getting in on the action with her medabot, trying to get "the lastest scoop" Crystal would later find out. In the corner of the store, she could have swore she saw an somewhat *ehm*man of the older persuasion (~_^ trying to be as polite as possible!) sitting and eating pudding, but he had obviously finished and left, because when she looked again he was gone. There was no clerk in sight.  
  
"Hmm," she shrugged. "must be in the back." For some reason she still couldn't shake the fact that this place was really familiar, and it was driving her mad, along with the strange sensation that hit her as soon as she came in to order a deluxe cotton candy icecream.  
  
"Actually" she thought, "it's been a long time since I've had icecream. It might be nice.I think the last time I had one was- well, let's not think of that, shall we?" But she quickly remembered her mission. "Now, where do these people keep their coffee?"  
  
"Aha! Success!" She had her eyes fixated on her goal across the room, a cappucino maker. She walked towards it. ^.^ She smiled at her good fortune and pressed the button, instantly pouring the hot steaming liquid into her cup. She put her coins into the machine to pay for her coffee* and walked happily over to a nearby table.  
  
(A/N *...I don't think they actually have machines like that yet, but the show Medabots is set in the future anyways isn't it? So who's to say they can't have 'em then? Anyways, I liked the idea, so sue me : P..Henry: What was that about you being mature? Crystaline: Shutup! *huggles him* ^_^ anyways on with the story..)  
  
"Hmmmm," She grinned happily and put the cup to her lips. "Oww!" She immediately jerked the cup away from her mouth. "Man," she put a finger to her lips and blushed slightly with embarassment for being such a baka. "I guess I forgot to blow on it first." She laughed lightly to herself, and blew softly on her drink before taking another sip.  
  
"MMM!" She licked her lips. Finally, a semi-decent coffee! "Remind me to come here again." she made a mental note to herself, and enjoyed the warm sensation of a good coffee after being out in the cold air. (Crystaline: *enjoying her sugar-highness even when writing a serious fic* Mm Mm Good! XP ..okay I'll be queit now. Henry: You spelt quiet wrong. Crystaline: Shutup.)  
  
**********************  
  
"Metabee! Don't be so stubborn!" Ikki argued with the yellow KBT type.  
  
"Back off Ikki!" shouted Metabee, very angrily I might add.  
  
"But you're acting like such a baby! Just because you know I'm right.."  
  
"WHAT?!?!" Metabee nearly face faulted.  
  
Meanwhile Erika was madly snapping pictures of the whole battle and taking notes.  
  
"One of Japan's top medafighters and medabot in heated conflict over *snicker* video game!" She started, quickly jotting down notes and signaling Brass to get all of it on tape.  
  
"Not quite front page material, but this should keep our readers amused." Erika stated.  
  
"Miss Erika," began Brass, "are you sure this is worth it? Don't you think we should be trying to get an interesting story?"  
  
Erika sighed. "I know Brass, but we have to work with what we got, and we don't really have much of anything, sure the W.R.C's are coming up, but that's still several months away. There's nothing interesting going on, it's really boring!"  
  
*******************  
  
Crystal knew better than to be nosy, but she couldn't help but watch the story unfolding before her. It was quite amusing actually. That strange dark-haired boy and his obnoxious medabot, were now beginning what looked to be WW III on the other side of the room,bullets beginning to fly from the anntanea (sp?) of the yellow medabot as we speak, while the chocolate haired girl with the camera was violently snapping photos of it all.  
  
Crystal couldn't help but laugh silently, the medabot sending a barrage of bullets at his medafighter, while the boy was yelling, kicking and punching violently at the empty air in anger at the his medabot, all the while the girl just continued to take her pictures and jot down notes while her medabot taped it. She laughed again, a laugh of genuine amusement, perhaps something she hadn't done in a long time. Unfortunately for her, this laugh came out loud against her will, only lightly mind you, but just loud enough, for a certain intrepid young reporter's ears to perk up and feel the urge to investigate.  
  
"Oops!" Crystal whispered. She eyed the others nervously, but still trying to look inconspicious (sp?) at the same time. "I guess I over stayed my welcome." she continued quietly to herself, trying desperately to duck out of the store quickly before being discovered.  
  
Too late.  
  
******************  
  
Erika heard a strange sound, not quite sure what it was or where it had came from, she glanced around the room.  
  
That's when she spotted her. On the other end of the room, sat a young woman, who looked to be in her late teenage years*, Erika didn't recognize her in the slightest way. The girl looked mysterious in some way, in fact, she alomst seemed to be shrouded in a cloud of mystery that loomed over her as she sat drinking her coffee. She also looked a little suspicious, as if she was hiding a great secret.  
  
(A/N *....I'm not sure just quite how old Henry's supposed to be, but I'm going to make myself around the same age as him, so I'm just going to make us 17 k? Cause I wrote us as 9 before, and it's 8 yrs later so yea, it makes sense right? RIGHT?!? Er- *ehm* *coughs nervously*)  
  
Erika cautiously stepped a little closer, Ikki and the others who had been watching Erika curiously, came up closer as well to see what was going on. Now, Erika could see the girl clearer. She did definitely look like she was in her late teenage years, "come to think about it," thought Erika, "she looks like she might even be around the same age as Henry." Erika looked around. Where was Henry anyways? She shrugged. "Must be in the back."  
  
Erika continued to exam the appearance of the girl. The young woman seemed to have extremely long hair, Erika noted. Erika guessed that it had to be at least to the woman's waist or longer, but it was hard to tell because the girl was sitting. The hair appeared to be of a light nature. The long locks were a lightish brown, with streaks of what appeared to be an auburnish flame? Was that the right way to describe it? Erika wasn't sure, but it somehow seemed to fit.  
  
(A/N why do I keep switching between woman and girl? Because I can, that's why! XP 'sides haven't you ever noticed when you're a teenager, that you are constantly being called both e.g: girl/young woman, boy/young man etc. k, shuting up now! ~_^)  
  
Crystal began to feel greatly akward and slightly uncomfortable, and she eyed Erika nervously for a moment, before returning to her coffee, pretending not to notice the obvious fact that she was being stared at by several eyes.  
  
Erika couldn't stand it any longer! She crept over the girl and decided to make her presence known!  
  
The others watched Erika curiously, what exactly was she doing? The followed and found themselves as well as Erika, face-to-face with the girl in a matter of seconds. Erika immediately began to chat up the girl, but leaving her no chance to get a word in. She was determined to find out who this girl was, and what she was doing here.  
  
Crystal was shocked and a little taken back, but she hid it well. She watched the chocolate haired girl bob up and down with enthusiasm and excitement with each new word. Crystal kept a totally calm exterior and began, an air of coolness in her tone. "Hullo there. Might I be so bold as to ask who you are?"  
  
"Huh?" Erika was confused, isn't this normally when she would ask the questions? This caught her off guard, if only for a moment, before she immediately began to talk again.  
  
"Hi! I'm Erika!* " Erika exclaimed.  
  
(A/N *...what's her last name people?! Does she even have one..)  
  
"Hmmm," Crystal smirked. SO that was the little snoop's name..she'd have to make a mental note to watch out fro that name in the future. "Well she seems nice enough I guess" Crystal thought to herself, " shall I introduce myself? No, not yet."  
  
"Erika huh? That's a nice name." Crystal finally replied.  
  
Erika smiled. "Thank you." Erika decided to continue interductions without bothering to see if that was alright with anyone else. "And this here is my Metabot Brass."  
  
"Hello Miss." said Brass shyly as she bowed.  
  
Erika continued interductions motioning to each person in turn.  
  
"And this" she started "is I-" she was cut off by Ikki.  
  
"This is my metabot Metabee,"  
  
"Yo!" waved Metabee.  
  
"M-metabee?" Crystal said under her breath. Just like the metabot himself, that name was so familar, a million thoughts raced through her head, as she recieved several memories she hadn't experienced in a long time.  
  
Erika stared at Crystal, who seemed to have spaced out.  
  
"Miss?" asked Brass.  
  
Crystal quickly snapped into reality. "Sorry, what?" she smiled at them. "You were saying?"  
  
"...and I'm Ikki Ten-" he was cut off as well, this time by Crystal who recalled where the boy and metabot looked familiar (and not for the other reason either).  
  
"Ikki Tenriyo. I know who you are, you are beginning to make quite a name for yourself around here you know."  
  
Ikki blushed. "Really?"  
  
"Unhuh." Crystal nodded.  
  
Metabee grew steadily impatient. What about him?  
  
"What about me?" He blurted out.  
  
Crystal smirked again. "Throw a dog a bone..." she mused to herself.  
  
"Oh! They mention alot about you too! The "great Metabee" is becomming a fast legend."  
  
"Really?!" Metabee had stars in his eyes.  
  
"Oh great, another ego boost." said Erika. Metabee and Ikki were ranting on and doing random poses while talking to their imaginary "fans".  
  
Crystal laughed. She leaned in and whispered in Erika's ear. "Typical males huh?"  
  
Erika just giggled.  
  
"Well, it's a great pleasure to meet you all..." Crystal began, trying to make this her exit speech, but it failed.  
  
" Well that should be all the introductions for now, actually there are a few more people we hang out with, but they aren't here right now, maybe I could introduce you later. Well, and there's Henry.." Erika looked around. "Where is Henry anyways?"  
  
Erika looked at Metabee and Ikki who just shrugged, and went back to what they were doing.  
  
"Henry?" Erika called out, glancing around the store. "Henry?"  
  
********  
  
Henry woke up with a start. Oh man! He had fallen alseep in the back again!  
  
"Man, my boss is gonna kill me!" Henry raised himself up from his chair, "hmmm, maybe I should cut down on the late nights for a while." he muttered to himself.  
  
"Henry?"  
  
"Huh?" Henry turned to where he had just heard the sound of his name.  
  
"Henry! Could you come out here a sec?"  
  
It was Erika.  
  
"Uhh, sure one sec Erika!" Henry called out. He walked out into the store area, expecting to see the usual, Ikki and Metabee and they're friends lounging around in his store, or Dr. Aki eating pudding, while Ikki and Metabee fueded, as usual. But he was caught off guard when he reached the doorway.  
  
Although it was true, he did see Ikki, Metabee, Erika and Brass, there was also another. A girl. A girl he didn't recoginze very well at all. And yet, she seemed alarmingly familar in the same instant. He tried to figure out where he knew her from, but he found himself drawing a blank.  
  
"And this, is Henry!" announced Erika.  
  
"Wow!" Crystal breathed hoping no one heard, luckily it was just quiet enough not to get picked up. She knew this guy from somewhere, she was sure of it! But sadly, she just couldn't figure out where that was. "He almost," she studied hsi appearance a bit more. "Looks like Hi..ka..ru." she paused. No! That was impossible. Hikaru was gone from her life, she'd have to face the truth. She had lost him for good. His appearance was just a coincidence, she was sure he was just a simple convenience store clerk, and nothing more. She shook her head, to try and shake the painful memory of Hikaru from her mind.  
  
The two were studying each other, and both were beginning to blush slightly.  
  
Erika continued. "And Henry, this is..uh, I'm sorry, I didn't get your name did I?" she turned to Crystal.  
  
"Oh! That's easy! I'm Crystaline -er-" she paused again. Henry nearly gasped at that name. "I can't go by that name any more, can I? Not in the public anyways..hmmm" she thought for a moment. "Crystal," she said at last. "Crystal Ineiko."  
  
She stood up, and remembering her manners, she bowed to them.  
  
"Crystal, that's a very pretty name." Henry said unconsciously, not realizing it had come out loud.  
  
The others nodded their agreement.  
  
Crystal blushed. "Thank you."  
  
Now that she was standing, Henry was able to get a better look at her. She looked to be at least around his age. She probably was. Her hair was long, and very lusterous. Henry thought it was very beautiful. But what really caught him was her eyes. They were a pale greyish-blue, with a bright turquoise ring around the middle. They looked very kind and gentile, but also as if they held great power, as well as a great secret. He also noticed a hint of pain barried deep into them. But when she blinked, they changed. They were now simply blue-grey. "Huh, they must change." he guessed silently.  
  
(A/N my eyes really do change depending on my mood, for example if I'm upset they are bright blue, when I'm tired they're grey, when I'm concerned they're turquoise ..etc..)  
  
Crystal studied the boy standing in front of her. He was pretty kawaii bishy she thought. He had dark hair and the dark eyes to match. She had to admit, he wasn't rally all that handsome, but he wasn't without his charm, and he did still have the tall and dark working in his favour. She guessed that he had to be around her age, but she wasn't positive. Crystal felt herself growing hot. She guessed they by now her face was probably a bright red. She prayed it wasn't. Henry felt himself doing the same.  
  
And awkard silence passed them both by.  
  
" Er- *ehm*" Crystal coughed nervously, trying to break there silence.  
  
"Have we met before?" Henry asked.  
  
" I beg your pardon?" questioned Crystal. She had been thinking of asking the same thing, but she would never admit it.  
  
Henry blushed. "Way to go!" he scolded himself. "blow it already why don't you."  
  
"N-noithing, it was nothing really. I'm sorry." Henry apologized.  
  
Crystal smiled at him. "It's okay."  
  
They both smiled.  
  
Erika cut into the happy silence a few seconds later, sending Crystal a barrage of questions.  
  
"So, your name is Crystal Ineiko? If you don't mind me asking, you're new around here right? Where'd you come from? Do you have any siblings? Who are you living here with? How old are you exactly? Where do you live? Do you have a medabot?" etc..etc..Erika continued her rendition of 20 questions until Crystal started to feel her head spin.  
  
How was she supposed to answer most of these questions, without revealing anything?  
  
The others just sighed. It really didn't take Erika long did it?  
  
Crystal hesitated before deciding to answer. " Yes, my name is really Crystal Ineiko." she mentally kicked herself for that remark. "And yes, I am new around here, and no I'm not in the same instant."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well, you see I lived here once before, " she sighed. "when I was young."  
  
"Really? How long ago."  
  
Crystal hesitated again. " ei-" she began. "umm I can't remember." ...."Point blank lie." She thought to herself, but it was better than telling her the truth. She knew that would just arise several, several more questions.  
  
"Oh." Erika sighed.  
  
" As for where I came from, I really can't say.." "Well,at least that isn't a full lie this time.." she muttered to herself.  
  
"Hmmm.." Erika was a getting a little disappointed.  
  
" And about your other questions, I-" She felt a sudden small paign. "I-" she tried again. " I have no- n-no family..."  
  
They all looked away ashamed of prying.  
  
"I'm sorry." Erika apologized. "I shouldn't have brought it up."  
  
"It's okay." Crystal answered back. "It's been a long time now. It doesn't really bother me that much to talk about it."  
  
Henry looked down, " I know the feeling, to have not seen your family for a long time." he sighed. How long had it been? He didn't want to think about it.  
  
There was a brief pause. Before Crystal broke the silence. "As for my age," she began, "I'm 17."  
  
"Wow! So that makes you around the same as Henry doesn't it?" Erika looked at Henry who nodded.  
  
Crystal smiled to herself before answering. "Yea, yea I guess it does."  
  
Henry couldn't help but feel himself grin when noone was looking.  
  
"And as for the medabot," she sighed. " I- I don't have one, not anymore anyways." "Again with the lying! Why can't you just stop already?" Crystal asked herself. She pulled her sleeve to make sure it was comletely covering the medawatch that would have normally held FelaFighter's medal.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Erika!" whispered Ikki in her ear. " Don't you think you've pried enough?"  
  
"Yea, I guess..." Erika pause, then looked at Crystal curiously, a few thoughts had crossed her mind."Hmmm, well this is getting us no where isn't it. Better move on to my next questions."  
  
"yea.." Crystal was a little nervous, she hadn't been expecting so many questions, she would have to get out of here soon. No one seemed to notice her nervousness, except Henry.  
  
"Hmmm" he thought. "She seems awfully nervous, It must be because of Erika. She should know better to pry into people's personal lives." He knew that if it had been him, he would be extremely nervous right now. He could tell she was getting greatly uncomfortable, and really wanted to end it,but was trying to hide it as to not hurt Erika or the others feelings, who seemed to be very interested about Crystal.  
  
"Crystal" Erika's finger shot up as she got an idea. "I have some more important questions I'd like to ask you, would I be allowed an exclsive interview? Please? You can't turn me down!"  
  
"Uhhh..."Crystal just sweatdropped and was at a loss of words for a moment, when she finally thought of what to say, she wasn't given the chance.  
  
"Oh please!" Erika immediately started to snap photos. "Oh and I could title it : New Girl in Town. Oh please!?!" She began to snap more photos.  
  
This made Crystal really nervous. Her head filled with different thoughts on how she was going to escape. "Oh great! That's just what I need. Pictures of me reaching the public. So much for the whole low-porfile idea. Look what you've gotten yourself into. Now think Crystaline, Crystal what are you going to do now?!"  
  
Crystal opened her mouth to say something, as Erika held her micorphone up, urging Crystal to allow her to begin the interview.  
  
Luckily, Henry seeing how uncomfortable the girl was becomming, came to her rescue.  
  
"Uhhh, Erika?"  
  
She spun around and looked at Henry. " Huh?"  
  
" I was just wondering.." he began to get the girl's as well as the other's attention bya sking her several thigns about how she liked to get the scoop. He knew this would keep Erika busy, and allow Crystal to escape. She looked at him confused, and he winked at her, blushing mind you.  
  
Crystal blushed at Henry's wink. Why was he helpnig her? Well, for whatever reason, she was extremely grateful. She nodded her thanks to him. And quickly ducked out the door before she was seen.  
  
Henry smiled.  
  
"Huh?" Thought Erika, she looked at Henry then turned around, as did the others.  
  
"Where'd she go?" They all questioned in unison, well all, except Henry.  
  
A few moments later Crystal arrived at her apartment and fumbled with her keys, till she was able to open her door. She was met by FelaFighter, who was cooking dinner on the stove for Crystal. She walked over and cheerfully greeted her Medafighter.  
  
"Hello Crystaline, so how was it? Back in the old home town and everything? Back in the town, and seeing what's new here."  
  
Crystaline sighed. "It was, interesting.."  
  
"Meet anyone interesting?"  
  
"You could say that." Crystaline sighed and shuddered at the recall of Erika. She would ahve tio make a mental note to avoid that girl. But the others seemed pretty nice. Suddenly, her thoughts reverted back to Henry, and she smiled. "yea," she continued. "You could definitely say that."  
  
*******************************  
  
Darkness surrounded everything. But that was okay. That was just the way she liked it. It made it difficult to be seen.  
  
A dark and shadowed figure in a cloak, lept up onto another roof. Hidden in the darkness, she grinned, her white fangs glistening in the moonlight.  
  
"Hmmm, let's see what they have to offer tonight." The Phantom Renegade loomed over a large window on a roof, that lead down to a large display of new medals being showcased before they were to be sold in the next year. He smirked. "These should do nicely."  
  
He slid open the window that some absent-minded guard had apparently forgotten to lock. Pity for him, it would cost him greatly.  
  
He laughed as he plucked each medal carefully from it's display case.  
  
He heard a strange rustle of something from behind him. He attempted conceal himself in the shadow.  
  
"Hmmm," that same dark figure girnned again. How foolish, he was just now noticing he was being followed? She smirked, "and to think, if my cape hadn't been blown in the wind when I leapt down from the window, he probably still wouldn't have noticed!" She immediately hid herself before she was discovered. "Not much longer." She smiled, for once someone was doing her work for her.  
  
Once the phantom was certain enough that noone was there, he resumed his pety thievery.  
  
He laughed again. This almost seemed to get more fun everytime he did it. Suddenly a voice cut into his thoughts.  
  
"Are those for me?" the voice questioned, amused.  
  
The phantom froze.  
  
"You know, normally I like to do the job myself, but if you insist on making it easier for me..."  
  
"I assure I'm not." replied the phantom to her.  
  
"Hmmm..."  
  
They both leapt up onto the roof, and stood at either end, just staring at eachother.  
  
The Phantom studied this new challenge. Her costume seemed to greatly resemble his own, however, ti was made to look more like it was for a woman. She wore a completely black body suit, and a cape like his. The only real difference, was naturally, that it was made for a woman, thus had a woman's form. And where the moonlight shone on his, it was normally blue, however hers on the other hand, was a deep crimson. She also appeared to have long flowing light brown- reddish auburn like hair, that almost looked like flame. It had to go to at least her waist.She wore a mask similar to his, a pale white, but hers was shaped almost like a womans face, whereas his was a simple smiley face. The eyes were an almond shape, leaving deep black holes, it had a line for a nose, and to holes for breathing, but what really caught him was the last part. Painted on, were deep, crimson, blood- red lips. With pearly white fangs, painted on, pertruding out of either side of the mouth.  
  
"Like a vampire's." He whispered, but he quickly remembered his perdicament.  
  
"You are not getting these medals!" growled the phantom.  
  
She laughed at him. In a mocking tone she replied. "That's what you think!!"  
  
"What?"  
  
She leapt up over the phantom's head, landing behind him, she tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Huh?" The Phantom turned around.  
  
"Thank you!" She snatched the medals from the theif.  
  
"Give those back!"  
  
" Phantom Renegade right? You know, a thief robbing a thief, that's a new one on me, but I like it!" She taunted him.  
  
"GRR!" He was growing greatly frustrated. "That's it!" He hissed. He reached his medawatch. "ArcBeetle!" He prepared to transport his medabot.  
  
"If that's how you want to play!" She reached for her medawatch as well. "ShadowCat!" She called.  
  
But just as they were both about to transport thier medabots, both of their attentions were drawn by police sirens.  
  
"What!" Both of them, glanced at eachother, then down below to search for the source o the sound.  
  
"The police, great!" Muttered the Phantom. "Could this night get any worse?"  
  
"Hmmm," started the cloaked woman, "Well, sorry cutie, that's my cue to leave.I guess we'll have to finish this later." She stated. "Oh, and thanks for the medals!Tata!" She waved and begant o leave.  
  
"Wait!" shouted the Phantom Renegade. "Who are you?"  
  
She smiled. "The name's The Teenage Vampiress, remember it! I can guarantee you'll here it in the future!" ANd with that, she lept off the roof, and off yet again into the darkness.  
  
The Phantom stared after her. "You can bet I will." He replied to the darkness, before leaving himself as well into the black of the night.  
  
"Hmm," whispered a dark figure in the shadows once again. "A little friendly competition. Finally! I like it!" She laughed into the night.  
  
**********************  
  
Authoress' Notes: Well, itt ook me like forever, but I finally finished this chapter!! I'm so sorry it's so long guys!!! I'll try and make the enxt chapter shorter k? Well anyways, please review. Cya later ^__^ -Crystaline (Crystal) The Teenage VAmpiress 


End file.
